IATA: Flight Safety Improved
Thursday, 27 March, 2008 | 15:29 WIB

TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta: The International Air Transport Association (IATA) states the flight safety for Indonesian aircraft this year has been improved over the past three years. It can be seen by the improvement effort and more disciplined regulations.

The statement comes from IATA vice president for Asia Pacific, Mike Barclay, after meeting Indonesian Vice President Jusuf Kalla in Jakarta yesterday. Barclay was accompanied by IATA Director for Safety, Operations, and Infrastructure, Geoff Hounsell; IATA Director for Operations and Commerce Vinoop Goel; and IATA Country Manager for Indonesia, Azhar Azahari.

“We appreciate the effort to improve,” Barclay said. In the past, Indonesia was the worldwide center of attention due to flight accidents on the average of three times of worldwide accidents per one million of flight operations.
IATA disagrees with a general flight ban of 51 Indonesian aircraft. The ban is too general and does not separate aircraft with a better and a worse safety system.

“The flight ban is fine to be applied,” said Barclay. But only for aircraft with a poor safety level. This ban can motivate the aircraft to improve their safety.
“We also recommended that Indonesian aircraft apply the IATA audit structure, International Operation Safety Audit (IOSA),” said Barclay.

Transportation Minister, Jusman Syafii Djamal, said national aircraft continue improving their safety aspect. Transportation Department and IATA will work together to increase the improvement effort. “The vice president supports this cooperation,” he said.

According to Jusman, the vice president told IATA about Indonesia's attempt for the European Union to stop their flight ban to Indonesia. IATA was asked to support this attempt. “The flight ban by the European Union is actually a disadvantage for Europe,” Jusman said.

The vice president, Jusman added, has calculated the disadvantage of the flight ban. Indonesia is not really suffering because Indonesia does not have many flight routes to Europe. “The vice president said it is a burden for Europe not being able to fly anywhere in Indonesia because there is no insurance,” said Jusman.
IATA also recommended to Indonesia to remove the Value Added Tax (PPN) on the passenger's ticket and cargo, so there is no disparity when it is purchased in or outside the country. This recommendation will be forwarded to the Finance Minister.

Anton Aprianto